Gregory Simon, MD, MPH has led several studies showing that simple, relatively inexpensive care management programs can significantly improve the lives of people with mood disorders. In 2004, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported findings from Dr. Simon and colleagues showing that phone-based care management and psychotherapy are effective treatments for depression, in part because they included vigorous outreach to people who may not otherwise seek or follow through with treatment. Dr. Simon is especially interested in developing and studying programs that empower patients to become more active partners in their care and to achieve a full, rewarding life—not just a decrease in symptoms and side effects. Other areas where Dr. Simon has made key contributions include obesity and depression, health plan coverage for antidepressants, the impact of mood disorders in the workplace, and suicide risk. In 2007, he shed new light on speculation that some antidepressant medications increase suicide risk: Dr. Simon's analyses showed that the pattern of suicide attempts after starting antidepressants was the same as the pattern after starting psychotherapy—suggesting that suicide risk has little to do with specific effects of medication.

Dr. Simon's success as a physician scientist is notable. He has been honored for his contributions to mental health research and care, with two awards from the American Psychiatric Association and another from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). Dr. Simon serves as one of 15 mental health researchers who advise the National Advisory Mental Health Council on research priorities and new research directions. The Council advises the secretary of Health and Human Services and the directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Mental Health on all policies and activities relating to the conduct and support of mental health research, research training, and other programs. Dr. Simon is the editor for the mood disorders section of Current Opinion in Psychiatry and also sits on the editorial board for General Hospital Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine.